A baby bison was killed on Saturday by the Yellowstone National Park staff after a visitor tried to “help” the calf cross a river in an apparent rescue attempt that prompted the calf’s herd to reject it.
According to a news release from the Yellowstone National Park, the calf had become separated from its mother as the rest of the herd crossed the river in a northern section of the park. The calf had been struggling to cross the river, when a man approached the animal and gently picked it up and pushed it from the river onto the road.
The calf was later spotted walking up to cars, approaching people and following them. Park rangers arrived and repeatedly tried to reunite the calf with its herd, but all efforts failed. The staff then made the decision to kill the newborn “because it was abandoned by the herd and causing a hazardous situation by approaching cars and people along the roadway.”
When asked why the calf couldn’t be brought to a facility to be cared for and rehabilitated until it was self sufficient and ready to be released back into the herd, park officials issued the following response:
Federal and state regulations prohibit the transport of bison out of Yellowstone unless those bison are going to meat processing or scientific research facilities. We now have a quarantine facility so bison can go through the months-long testing protocols for brucellosis and, if negative, be used to start conservation herds elsewhere. However, the use of quarantine for a newborn calf that’s abandoned and unable to care for itself is not a good candidate for quarantine.
Facebook/Yellowstone Park
The park warns tourists that interference from people can cause wildlife to reject their calves, and signs at the park tell people to stay at least 25 yards from all wildlife, including bison, elk and deer and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves.
It is not clear if the man who tried to “help” the calf could face criminal charges. The unidentified white male has been described to be in his 40-50’s, wearing a blue shirt and black pants.
This incident is under investigation. If you were in Lamar Valley on the evening of May 20, 2023, and have information that could help this investigation, please contact the Yellowstone National Park Tip Line at 307-344-2132 or [email protected].
Learn more about when Yellowstone staff intervene in a natural process and why at go.nps.gov/KeepWildlifeWild.
(Photo of man pictured with calf courtesy of Hellen Jack)
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Killing a baby bison makes no sense to me. Why couldn’t the park officials have arranged for it to be bottle fed, tested for illnesses and sent to a wildlife refuge? I would imagine that there would be zoos or sanctuaries that could have taken this animal for educational purposes……..
Killing this helpless baby seems unnecessary (& who on the staff is having a BBQ of baby bison this weekend)???
This man was just trying to help! Just educate your guests instead of hounding them for doing (what they believe to be) good! When I visited this park, I got the feeling that humans were unwelcomed here! Only the scholars and scientists seemed to be appreciated in the park. Everyone else is being phased out! These people seemed to want the park all to themselves! Don’t want campgrounds, fishing, etc., etc.